Ousted Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard sounds off on Elon Musk, how the company has changed, and the EV wars

Sat, 02/18/2023 - 06:30

Collage featuring the ousted Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard surrounded by the Tesla building, a Tesla Roadster, and Elon Musk — Martin Eberhard chatted about electric cars and Elon Musk in an interview with Insider.
James Leynse/Getty Images; Tesla; Maja Hitij/Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/Insider

Martin Eberhard spoke with Insider about his perspectives on Tesla, EVs, and Elon Musk.
While Musk is often referred to as Tesla's founder, Eberhard cofounded Tesla with Marc Tarpenning.
Tesla's early history has long been a point of contention between Musk and Eberhard.

While Elon Musk is sometimes referred to as the founder of Tesla, his part in the carmaker's history is more complicated.

Martin Eberhard cofounded Tesla in 2003 with his longtime friend Marc Tarpenning. Musk led the company's $7.5 million Series A funding round and became chairman of the board in 2004.